Calling the Fire Department

What Happens When You Call 911?
Roseville Fire Department is dispatched by the Ramsey County Dispatch Center. Roseville has an enhanced 911 system. When you call 911, the dispatcher can identify through the system's computer the phone number and address of the calling party. This assists in timely dispatching of police or fire units to the emergency scene. The 911 PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point), for the City of Roseville is the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. The police dispatcher needs to know if your call is a police, fire or medical emergency. The caller should tell the dispatcher which type of emergency they are reporting or give a description of the problem, allowing the dispatcher to decide how to route the call.

The dispatcher will begin to dispatch emergency units immediately. Roseville Fire Department fire trucks and medical squads are dispatched according to the nature of the call. The closest unit will be sent to ensure that help arrives as soon as possible. It also means that more than one fire unit may be sent to the scene.

Roseville firefighters receive medical training and, at a minimum, are Medical First Responders. Most are now certified EMTs. Whenever a person calls 911, their message needs to be clear. They also need to stay on the phone until the person in the 911 center has released them from the conversation.

Try to stay calm.

State what kind of emergency it is.

Tell the dispatcher where the incident is.

Stay on the phone. The dispatcher may ask more questions or want you to stay on the line.

Emergency units already have been dispatched even while you are talking with the dispatcher. Children should be taught their home address and telephone number as soon as possible. In most cases, when a caller dials 911, the address and phone number of the caller's location is displayed to the 911 dispatcher. However, this is not always verified because of information that may be called in from cellular or mobile phones.